Nuggets announce signing of Millsap

A highly coveted free agent, the former Atlanta forward agreed to a three-year deal worth $90 million. He will hold a news conference Thursday in a suburb of Denver where he spent a dozen years as a kid before returning to Louisiana for high school and college.

The 32-year-old Millsap gives the youthful Nuggets a proven veteran to pair with budding star Nikola Jokic. Millsap averaged a career-high 18.1 points last season with 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Denver (40-42) improved by seven games this year but still missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Millsap's presence helps the Nuggets remain in the playoff conversation even in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Knicks promote Mills, hire Perry -- A person with knowledge of the details says the New York Knicks have promoted Steve Mills to president and hired Scott Perry as general manager.

Mills takes over the position left vacant by Phil Jackson's departure last month, the person told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person was granted anonymity because no announcement had been made.

Perry was the executive vice president of operations for the Sacramento Kings and previously held front-office roles for other organizations.

Mills returns to the role he held briefly before Jackson was hired in March 2014 and Mills was made his general manager.

Jazz add 3 in free agency, release Diaw -- A person with direct knowledge of the deals says the Utah Jazz have reached agreements to sign free agents Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh. The Jazz also released Boris Diaw, whose 2017-18 salary would have been guaranteed Saturday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the moves had not been officially announced.

Jerebko spent the last two seasons with the Celtics and averaged 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds last year.

Udoh spent the last two seasons in Turkey, where he won a Euroleague championship with Fenerbahce. Udoh was the No. 6 overall NBA pick in 2010.

LA Lakers sign summer league star Caruso to 2-way deal -- The Los Angeles Lakers have signed summer league standout Alex Caruso to a two-way contract.

The Lakers announced the deal Thursday.

Caruso spent last season with Oklahoma City's G League affiliate after going undrafted out of Texas A&M. After joining the Lakers for summer league play, the guard cemented his impressive performance Monday by getting 18 points and nine assists against Sacramento.

Two-way contracts are new to the NBA for the upcoming season. They allow a player to spend up to 45 days on an NBA roster while also playing in the G League.

The Lakers waived guard David Nwaba on Wednesday to create salary cap room for guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, whose signing hasn't been officially announced. Nwaba must clear waivers before the Lakers can re-sign him.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Sooners without Stoops still preseason pick to win Big 12 -- Oklahoma is the preseason favorite to win another Big 12 title after coach Bob Stoops' surprise retirement.

The Sooners, who last season won their record 10th Big 12 title under Stoops, got 19 of 32 first-place votes in the preseason media poll released Thursday in advance of the league's media days next week.

Lincoln Riley became the youngest FBS head coach when the 33-year-old offensive coordinator was promoted after Stoops stepped down last month. The Sooners have senior quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy finalist who was named the Big 12 preseason offensive player of the year.

Oklahoma State got 12 first-place votes, while Kansas State was picked third with the remaining top ballot. Texas and TCU completed the top half of the poll, followed by West Virginia, Baylor, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Kansas.

CYCLING

Froome loses Tour lead to Aru, Bardet wins 12th stage -- Chris Froome cracked in the final stages of a grueling climb to the finish and lost the overall lead in the Tour de France to Fabio Aru on Thursday, after a demanding stage won by Romain Bardet.

Froome's Sky teammates perfectly controlled the race until the final kilometer leading to the ski station of Peyragudes, but the three-time champion was dropped in a final section that featured slopes with a 20 percent gradient.

Bardet won Stage 12 ahead of Rigoberto Uran and Aru, who seized the race lead from Froome by six seconds. Bardet is third overall, 25 seconds off the pace.

Team Sky had dominated the stage until the final 500 meters, when Aru made his move. Froome was only able to follow his Italian rival for a few meters and looked glued to the road.

Bardet was the strongest in the brutal incline and described his third stage win on the Tour as "an immense joy."

Aru had trailed Froome by 18 seconds at the start of the stage.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

MLB committee can determine Nationals' rights fees -- An appeals court has ruled that a committee of Major League Baseball owners and executives can determine the amount of rights fees the Washington Nationals can earn from television broadcasts of their games.

The Nationals declared Thursday that they've "won a major legal victory" with this ruling.

This is the latest chapter in a lengthy dispute between the Nationals and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which is controlled by the Baltimore Orioles. MASN was established in March 2005 after the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington and became the Nationals, moving into what had been Baltimore's exclusive broadcast territory since 1972.

New York Supreme Court Justice Lawrence K. Marks in November 2015 threw out an arbitration decision that said MASN owes the Nationals about $298 million for the team's 2012-16 television rights.

Tebow hits first pro walk-off HR for St. Lucie -- Tim Tebow hit the first game-ending home run of his pro baseball career Thursday night, lifting the Class A St. Lucie Mets over the Daytona Tortugas 5-4 in a seven-inning game.

The former NFL quarterback went deep with one out against Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer Austin Orewiler, hitting a first-pitch fastball over the fence in left field. It's his third home run in 16 Florida State League games following a promotion from Class A Columbia, and his sixth home run in 80 games overall in his first season as a minor leaguer.

Tebow says it was his first walk-off homer since the district championship game his junior year at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, near Jacksonville. The former Florida quarterback did not play his senior year in order to focus on football.

Tebow has hit safely in 11 straight games and is batting .327 with St. Lucie.